Refrigerating apparatus and method of heat transfer therein



Aug. ll, 1931. L. G. coPEMAN- 1,818,673

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS AND METHOD oF HEATl TRANSFER HEREIN Filed April 11. 192s 2 sheets-sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

,avi

...m/k @a Aug- 11, 1931- L. G. coPEMAN A y 1,818,673

REFRIGERATING APIPARATS ANDMETHOD OF HEA'VIITRANSFER THEREIN Filed April ll, 192.8 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Aug. 11',

UNITED STATES asista PATENT A'or-'lucia'.

LLOYD G. OOPM, Ol' im, IIUHIGN, .ABSIGNOB TO OOPEIAN.- LABORATORIES OOIPAIY, OI' im, IIOHIGAN, .l CORPORATION Ol' H IOHIGAN BEFBIGEBLTING AIPRTUEAN D Ol' mi' TRAIN 'Imm Y appunti 'aina apru 1i',

i This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and method of heat transfer therein.A It has to do particularly with that type of refrigeratin aparatus known as ice .creamt oug it is not necessarily limited v cabinets, al

thereto. Heretofore, in ice cream cabinets and similar refrigerating units utilizing mechanical c refrigeration, it has been customary to' ro-` 10 vide a single refrigeratinghmedium, suc as brine, for transmitting the eat units between ,the ice cream cans and articles to be cooled, :and the refri erant circulatin medium usulally consist of a coil within t e brine. Due

le, to the uniformity of the heat transmitting surfaces, suchas brine or the like,`the heat transmission has been fairly uniform around the ice cream cans and around the edges of t the cabinet, with the result that there has been I0 ,a relatively large temperature di'erential' 'between the immediate inside of the cabinet and the atmosphere on the outside. Regardless of the amount of insulation on the cabinets this high temperature differential has re-v 85' sulted in considerable heat losses.

' It is the ob'ect of the present invention to so arrangeI e ice cream cabinet and containers or even single articles wherein a plurality oheat mediums are util- L to ized, the main transmitting medium, prefergably brin being ositioned within the arti- .cle or articles to cooled and the second -refri eratin medium being positioned on the outsi e of t e articles to be cooled, and also extending preferably around the same whereby the immediate refrigerating eect is between the main refrigeratin medium and .the articles to be cooled and e second conducting medium being positioned adjacent the outside. of the cabinet to lower the temperature differential. s

In the drawingsz. 1 M

Fig. 1 is a plan view,partly in section, of

of my invention. f

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating the manner of locating the main heat con- 'ducting medium, namely brine, within the l 5 units to be cooled, and utilizing the second an ice cream cabinet embodying the `features 1928. Serial lo. MMO.

of the units to be cooled to lower the. temperature differential.

Fi 3 is a plan view, lpartly in section, of a mo ilied form of'ice cream cabinet embodyin the principles of my invention. ig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a still further modification, wherein the refrigerating e'ect is even more direct and more isolated, the main refrigerating medium and heat conductor being positioned within the ice cream container or other unit itself.

Theoretically, the best results from my invention will be obtained from an ice cream cabinet or similar unit of cylindrical forma.- tion. Accordingly, in Fig. 1, I have shown f my preferred embodiment as constituting an ice cream cabinet which ma be generally 7o designated 1 which is of cylindrical shape. This cabinet is provided with the customary insulation as at 2, and the ice cream cansinstead of being suspended directly in the brine are adapted to be received in suitable aper- 75 tures 3 which are formed in a suitable artilicial stone lining 4'. v

' This artificial stone lining 4 may be formed of an Oxy-chloride cement or any other-kind of artificial stone which will `forma good heat conductor as well as agood hold-over. The main portion of this, artificial stone is disposed between thea rtures 3 and around J the outer edges thereo v Centrall positioned within this stone lining or pre erably moulded or cast therein, is an aperture 5 which is ada ted to receive the main heatconducting medium which is preferably brine. This central aperture 5 extends almost'to the walls of the apertures 3, whereby the main cooling of the inner walls of the ice cream cansor other similar articles is by means of the brine in this main container 5.v Positioned within the a rture or container 5 and immersed in the rine, is a suitable coolin unit or refrigerant conducting means 6 whic is connected to suitable refrigerating A mechanism (not shown? whereb to conduct and circulate a vo atile' refri rant to produce a cooling e'ectone conduit 7 being 10 i preferably connected to the condenser and another conduit being connectedto the comrestangular shape. Such cabinet is generally designated 10 and the ice cream containers or apertures 11 are disposed in parallel alignment in the customary manner. These a rtures 11 are formed in an outer lining l of artificial stone or similar material, just as described in connection with Fig. 1.

Within this lining 12 of artificial stone, and positioned centrally of the apertures 1,1, is a' relatively lar aperture 13 which is adapted to receive rine or other heat con-v i ducting mediunn Immersed within. this brine is a suitable cooling unit 14 which is preferably connected by means of the conduits 15 and 16 to a refrigerating mechanism (not shown). Such refrigerating mechanism may be completely positioned withiny the ice cream cabinet or may be separately positioned, as is well known is standard practice.

The walls of the central receptacle or container 13 are positioned very close v'the inner walls of the apertures 11 whereb the main refrigerating effect is directly produced by the brine within such container, vwhile tthe secondary refrigeratin duction is edected by t eartificial stone between the containers 11 and atthe outside thereof. The high temperature differential still exists between the brine and the atmosphere,but it is eiualized by the stone lining' whereby to at y increase the emciency of the unit bo in heat units and operation of the refrigerating mechanism. y In Fig. 4 I have shown a further modication of .my invention, wherein the cans are adaptedtobeinserted suitable apertures provided by the stone. ing 21. Insteadof ha a common central containerk for the brine have provided tapered members 22 which and which aregshaped co contour of the icecream cana. l icecream canisformedinanovelmannerinthatitis shrrvided a central u ped portion 28 whereby to rovide an annular container for the rece on ofthe icemlm.

The tapered stove members 22 are prefer-` ably provided with suitable hollow containers 24 .forrecei a suitable member which in Fig.4 is shown as comprising a coil 25. However it will be understood that any a form of cooling unit 25 mayfbe positioned eect or lheat conice creamareforiiiedofstone .ndlyltothe vwithin the container or the brine in such container 24 may pumped from any other point. The top of the tapered member 22 is preferabl apcrtured to receive suitable lugs 26 for ling the same with brine and or removing4 the cooling members if the same are use What I claim is: 1,. An ice c ream cabinet or similar structure comprising, an inner lining of stone provided with one or more apertures for receiving one or more ice cream cans, and acontainer positioned within said stone and located centrali in said aperture or apertures, said container holdin a bod of brine, and means for cooling said rine w ereby the main heat transfer is effected bet'ween said bodyV of brine and the inner ortions of said ice cream can or cans, and t e stone acts as an equalzing medium between the centrally positioned body of brine and the atmosphere on the outside of the cabinet.

2. An ice cream cabinet or similar struc-v .ture com rising, one or more ice cream c 0 a body o brine positioned centrally of sai icecream can or cansz means for conducting a volatile refri rant immersed in said brine, anda lheat con uctingmedium of a dierent.l nature positioned around said ice cream can or cans. l

3. An icecream cabinet or similar structure comprising, 4a plurality of ice cream cans a lining of stone apertured to receive sai -ductor but separating the 'said brine from temperature conditions on the exterior of the cabinet.

4. An icecream cabinet or similar l comprising, one or more ice cream cans, a lining of stone surrounding and forming an aperture for said ice cream can or cans, one or y Y more containers formed in said stone and positionedcentrall in said can or-cans for recei top o said brine container or containers for permittingaccessthereto. .Y t' 5. An ice cream cabinet or similar struc--v ure com rising one or more ice cream cans, a lining o stone and forming the aperture for Asaid ice cream can or cans, one

or more formed in said stone and postionedcentrall in said can or cans for receiving a body o -comprisin in combination, anice cream can formed o substantially .parallel cylindrical cans, onefor more containers .in said stone adapted to receive a body of brine positioned centrally `in said ice cream cans, and

vies

a body o brine, and an opening at the rine,acoolingunit tioned in said container or containers an ime merced in the brine, and an opening in said surfaces to form an annular container for receiving the ice cream, and refrigerant conducting means ositioned within the cabinet and ada ted to located and positioned cen- 5 trally o the inner cylindrical surface ofthe ice cream can when inserted in the cabinet said can being surrounded by a solid wall of heat conductive material but having less heat 1 conductivity than said refrigerant conduct- 10 in means.

' Ice vcream cabinets or similar structures comprising in combination, a lining of stone provided with one or more apertures for receiving one or more ice cream cans,'\said ice 35 cream can or cans being provided with an inner wall to form an inwardly extending opening, a portion of said stone lining ex tending upwardl within said opening or openings, and re rigerant conductmg means 1 positioned in heat conducting relation with "the stone members extending within seid opening or openings. f

8. An ice cream cabinet,or the like, com prisin a centrally positioned container holdn "5 ing a ody of cooling medium, ice cream, or

the like, containing means substantially surrounding the said cooling medium container, v and a stone hold-over medium substantially surroundin the said ice cream` containing 30 means for owering the temperature differential between the cooling medium container and the atmosphere outside the cabinet.

In testimony whereof I ax m si ature. LLOYD G. COE N. 

